The Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival has been in town these past two weeks, and it’s a time of celebration. We should not only be celebrating the films themselves, but celebrating the love that goes into the making of them. These are real people with real lives. This is someone, somewhere’s story.

There was also the National Equality March in Washington D.C. last weekend. Tens of thousands of gay and straight people from around the nation came together in unity to stand up for something important: basic human rights. Lady Gaga made a speech about the nature of equality, pointing out that “it’s not equality if it’s sometimes.” Cleve Jones, co-chairman of the march said “there’s no such thing as a fraction of equality.” It made me think about how far we’ve all come without really going anywhere.

Most people, at this point, understand what is meant by “tolerance.” As I’ve said before, this word is a crock of shit to me. So what? Joe Republican from Midwest, USA with his 2.3 children – that’s his son Timmy, his daughter Sally, and his limbless torso of a child Bob – doesn’t openly call the effeminate Starbucks barista “faggot” to his face? Is that tolerance? Or maybe it’s bigger than that. A woman can dedicate her life to her country by fighting in the military and that’s praiseworthy, but if she kisses her girlfriend when she comes home from overseas she will lose her job. Is that tolerance? I say fuck tolerance. Tolerance isn’t good enough. What we need is equality.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” This idea is supposed to be the foundation of our nation. Instead, it should read, “…all men are created equal – if you’re rich, white, and heterosexual.” I love those people that oppose gay marriage because “it ruins the sanctity of the union.” Right. Because Britney’s two-day marriage to her high school boyfriend is really the epitome of traditional family values. I don’t care about you and your husband having your bi-monthly missionary sex, that’s your business. Frankly,truestory. I’m just happy you’re gettin’ some. Why can’t you be happy for me too?

In the end, it should be about love. It should be about compassion. It should be about the collective effort to promote a greater good. “God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.” First of all, everyone knows Steve was hooking up with Moses when he and Jesus had their falling out. And secondly, the foundation of all Christian sects is supposed to be about one thing: agape. That’s UNconditional love.